and rearranged his materials, and the accounts of those who again prepared his writings for the press (viz. his son, Samuel Vital of Damascus; the polygrapher Jacob Zemach, a Portuguese physician in Palestine, 1619-52; and his German pupil Bleir Poppers at Jerusalem, ob. 1022), and, lastlv, a comparison of the different forms in which the same formula and plays upon letters appear and reappear, must make every honest student despair of ever producing light and order out of this vast mass of confusion; and we might sum up our judgment, like an ingenious bibliographer, in the words " The dream of Pharaoh is one." The work of Chajim consists of six parts; a portion of that part which treats of the doc- trine of metempsychosis (cblibiil) has been translated into Latin by Knorr von Kosenroth. See Fiirst, Bibl. ./arf. iii, 479 sq. ; Ginsburg, A'«i6»/(//(, p. 135; De' Rossi, Dizionario Storico (Germ, transl.), p. 328 sq. ; Gratz, Gesch. d. Jiidm. ix, 445 sq. ; and note, 8, p. Ixxv; x, 125 sq. ; Steinschneider, Jeivish Literature, p. 227 sq. (B. P.)
Vitali, Ales.sandro, an Italian painter, was born at LTrbiuo in 1580. He was instructed by Federigo Baroccio, who assisted him in some of his best works. He copied the Annunciation of Loreto, by Baroccio, with such success that it might easily be mistaken for the original. His ^Y. Agnes, in the cathedral, and .SV. Augustine, in the Church of the Eremitani. at Urbino, are among his best works. He died in 1G30. See Spooner, Biog. Hist, of the Fine Arts, s. v.
Vitali, Giuseppe, a painter of Bologna, flourished about 1700. He studied under Giangioseffo del Sole, and painted history. He executed some works for the churches of Bologna, the most important of which are the Annunciation, in San Antonio; St. Petronio, in SS. Sebastian!) e liocco; and the Martyrdom of St. Cecilia, in the church of that saint. He died some time af- ter 1720. See Spooner, Biog. JJist. of the Fine Arts, s. v.
Vitalian, pope from 657 until 072. In that age the pope was subject to the emperor, and Vitalian was obliged to write to Constans H to request the imperial confirmation of his elevation to the papal chair. In the Monothelite controversy he was obliged to bend before the imperial party, which favored the ^lonothclite error. He was also unsuccessful in maintaining the superiority over bishop Maurus of Kavenna to which he laid claim. Vitalian's influence seems to have been more powerful in England than elsewhere, through the labors of The- odore, archbishop of Canterbury, who endeavored to es- tablish uniformity with the Church of Pome. Vitalian left certain letters which are yet extant; and died, it is stated, on Jan. 27, 672. See Herzog, Real-Fiicykkq}. s. V.
Vitalis A FuuNO, a French prelate, was appointed cardinal in 1312. He opposed the Spirituals, and wrote mystical expositions of the Proverbs, tha Gosjiels, the Apocalypse, and various other portions of the Bible. The exegesis of the French writers of this period is well illustrated by his Moral Mirror of the whole Bible. See Mosheim, Hist, of the Church, bk. iii, cent, xiv, pt. ii, ch. ii.
Vite, TiJiOTEO (also called della Vite di Urbino). an Italian painter, was born at L'rbino in 1470. He studied under Francesco Francia at Bologna, and returned to Urbino in 1496. F'rom thence he repaired to the acad- emy which his relative Raphael had opened in the Vatican at Rome. He assisted Raphael for some time, and again returned to LTrbino, where he passed the re- mainder of his days. He died in 1524. Among his principal works are the Discovery of the Cross, in the Church of the Conventuali at Pesaro; the Conception, in the Osservanti at Urbino; and the Noli Me Tangere, in the Clnirch of Sant' Angelo at Cagli. See Spooner, Biog. Hist, of the Fine A rts, s. v.
Vitek, in Chinese mythology, was an idol worship-
VITELLIUS
806
VITKY
ped because of his having delivered the earth and the kingdom of heaven from the power of the diemons, who devastated them. He is usually represented as of gigan- tic size, very fat, and sitting upon a throne, with two diu- mons at liis side listening to his commands. Numerous daily sjiice-oflFerings were made to him. At the time of these offerings his priests related upon their kuees the great deeds of the god.
Vitellius, ail African Donatist, flourished about A. I). 314. Me wrote on the world's hatred to the ser- vants of (iod, against the pagans, against the Catho- lics as traditors, and some other tracts. None of his works remain. See Geuuadius, De Viris IllusU-ibus, s. v.
Vitellius, Aulus, a Roman emperor, son of Lucius Vitclliii.-i. t he censor, was born A.D. 15. Like his father, he was a master of the arts of servile cringing and flat- tery, 'i'hrough the favor of Tiberius, Caius Caligula, Claudius, and Nero, he was advanced to high station, and on the death of Otho was ()roclaimed emperor in (icrmany at the time Vespasian was engaged in war with the .lews early in G9. He was a glutton and vo- luptuary, and without either civil or militarj' talent.
Coin of Vitellius.
About the time he arrived in Rome, Vespasian was pro- claimed at Alexamlria, and, on the latter arriving in Italy at the head of liis hostile army, Vitellius was put to death, Dec. '22, 69 (Josephus, War, iv, 10; Tacit. Hist, ii, 3; Sueton. Vitellius). See Tillemont, llis- fuire (Its Enipereurs, vol. i; Smith, Diet, uf Class. Biotj. s. V.